


It's You

by xtina592



Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game), pricefield - Fandom
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Childhood Friends, Emotional Hurt, F/F, Fluff and Angst, Friendship, Friendship/Love, High School, Plot Twists, Still Some Cannon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-03
Updated: 2021-01-03
Packaged: 2021-03-14 00:08:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28537119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xtina592/pseuds/xtina592
Summary: After 5 years, Max Caulfield returns to her hometown of Arcadia Bay. But when her world is turned upside down on her first day of class, she wonders if she made the right choice coming back. To make things more complicated, she runs into her old best friend Chloe Price. Though their friendship needs a lot of repairing, Max eventually starts feeling hopefully that they can get back to how they used to be, until a shocking event changes everything.
Relationships: Maxine "Max" Caulfield/Chloe Price, Rachel Amber/Chloe Price
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	It's You

It’s You

Max Caulfield walked across the sprawling campus of the prestigious Blackwell Academy on a crisp fall morning with the biggest smile on her face. She still couldn’t believe she was actually back in her hometown of Arcadia Bay and would soon become a student of one of her idols: the incredible Mark Jefferson. Max had loved photography from a young age, and as soon as she found out that Mr. Jefferson would be teaching a class at Blackwell, she begged her parents to leave Seattle to go back to her original home. Photography was more than just a hobby for Max, she wanted to be the best photographer she could possibly be, and who better to learn from than who she considered to be one of the most talented artists of her lifetime? She had been back in Arcadia for two weeks and today was the first day of classes. She slept maybe an hour the night before, too excited to sleep because her first class was Jefferson’s.  
Max made her way up the steps leading to the front entrance and, using her slightly damp hand, reached for the door handle and pulled it toward her. When she stepped into the hall, she tried taking in her surroundings. The janitor was over to her right, mopping up some soda that was spilled on the ground, and students filled the rest of the corridor. She recognized some of the girls from the dorms - Dana, Juliet, Victoria, Brooke. The only girl who she felt could actually become a good friend was a super sweet blonde girl named Kate Marsh who lived across the hall from her. They already had tea together just the other day, and although the friendship was still new, Max was hoping it would be one that would last past graduation.  
Leaving behind Seattle wasn’t hard for Max since she never felt like she truly fit in there, and she certainly didn’t feel like she was leaving behind any long-lasting friendships. She had a couple friends, but it was more out of convenience than having an actual meaningful bond with anyone. The last person who fit that description was her best friend, who actually still lived in Arcadia, Chloe Price. Max wasn’t really sure if she even still had the right to call Chloe her best friend, since for the past 5 years she didn’t even so much as call Chloe. There were countless times she started to draft a text or had pen to paper ready to write a letter, but her anxiety would always get the better of her and a million questions would swarm in her head. Is she so mad at me for not reaching out sooner that she won’t even read this? Did she move on and find other friends and wouldn’t care if she heard from me? Is she still upset with me for moving to Seattle so soon after her dad passed away? But at this moment, Max pushed her anxiety aside and promised herself that as soon as she felt a bit more settled at school she would reach out and see Chloe. Even if Chloe ignored her, she wanted to actually try to reconnect with her childhood best friend.  
Bringing herself back to the present, Max made her way over to the nearest bulletin board to see if there was a map of the classrooms so she didn’t get lost trying to find Mr. Jefferson’s room. There were several brightly colored flyers on the board, but one black and white one caught her eye immediately. It was a missing persons poster for a girl named Rachel Amber. She looked so beautiful in the picture on the poster, and Max’s heart dropped when she saw she was only 19 but had already been missing for several months. Poor girl, Max thought to herself, I hope she’s found soon. She quickly realized this board didn’t contain a map, so she wandered around to the other boards. On each one, another Rachel poster was staring back at her. Wow, somebody’s really making an effort to find her, she thought. Eventually, Max found the map on a nearby wall and then started to make her way towards Jefferson’s class. When she walked into the room she felt chills spread all over her body. She made a beeline to the desk all the way in the back because even though she wanted to get as up close to Jefferson as she could, she was still much more comfortable tucked in the back of a room observing rather than participating.  
“Hey Max!” She heard a voice coming from her right just as she plopped down in her seat and placed her bag next to her feet.  
Max’s eyes lit up when she saw Kate Marsh sitting at the desk near the windows. “Hey Kate!”  
“Today’s the big day! I bet you only slept 3 hours last night!!” Kate said excitedly as she made her way over to stand at Max’s desk to talk to her.  
“You’d be overbetting,” Max said dryly. “But yeah, I still can’t believe I’m even in his classroom. I feel like I’m dreaming!”  
“It definitely should be a good one!” Kate said with a kind smile.  
Suddenly, Max remembered the missing persons posters. “Oh yeah, I meant to ask you, do you know anything about that missing girl? Rachel Amber?”  
Kate’s smile slowly faded from her face. “Yes, so sad, isn’t it? I pray for her everyday and I hope she returns soon, and safely.”  
“What do you think happened to her?” Max asked with genuine concern.  
Kate shook her head. “I’m not sure. She wanted to be an actress and model, so a lot of people think she ran off to LA.”  
“Well, judging by the picture on her poster, she certainly is pretty enough to be a model,” Max said. “Were you friends with her?”  
The smile returned to Kate’s face. “We only had a couple classes together, but she was friendly with everybody. There were a few times she and I had tea together, and she was...is...one of those people that just lights up a room whenever they walk in.” Kate paused for a few seconds. “There are a lot of people here that seem more focused on themselves than anybody else, but when Rachel talked to me, she seemed genuinely interested in what I had to say. Even if I wouldn’t consider her a close friend, I felt like she was just very real. And that can be hard to find these days.” Kate took another quick pause before saying “But that’s why I’m so glad you and I have become friends, because I can tell you’re real too, Max.”  
Max smiled back at Kate. “I’m glad too, and it sounds like Rachel is a really special person. I hope she comes back to town soon. I’d love to meet her.”  
Kate opened her mouth to speak, but Mr. Jefferson had just entered the room so she gave a silent wave to Max and hurried back over to her seat.  
“Good morning everybody!” Jefferson said with a beaming smile. “I’d start my introduction, but it looks like we’re missing a few people. So I’ll give it 5 minutes before I start class, sound good?”  
Everyone who was already in their seat just nodded. Wowzer, Max thought to herself, it’s really happening! I am in the same room with Mark Jefferson...sigh...is this even real life right now? She wasn’t sure what she should do to pass the next 5 minutes. She definitely didn’t want to risk leaving her seat, so eventually she decided to pull out her camera and take a selfie. She wanted to mark this historic day and be able to say ‘Oh that picture? I took that in Mark Jefferson’s class...yes, THE Mark Jefferson...no biggie.’ She gave a small smile in her picture and the sound caught the attention of Mr. Jefferson. Max looked up just in time to see him start to saunter toward her direction. She couldn’t believe he was coming closer to her, and she felt like she was about to pass out as he stood just on the other side of her desk.  
“So, you’re a selfie gal, huh?”  
“Um...uhhh…” Ugh, real brilliant, Max, she thought to herself. “Sorta...I guess?” she responded.  
“Well I guess you’re technically an ‘old school’ selfie gal, since you can’t directly upload those onto Facebook. Cool analog,” he said smoothly.  
“Th-thanks,” Max was able to mutter. “I’ve never really been into digital.” Way to go genius, you’re saying this to a photographer who’s like a master at digital photography… “I mean...not that there’s anything wrong with digital. That’s great too! Your digital work is...a work of art...and…” Max wordlessly begged herself to stop talking so she didn’t insert her foot in her mouth even more than it had been.  
Mr. Jefferson let out a breezy laugh. “Well, thank you. I appreciate that. So you’re familiar with my work?”  
Max didn’t dare speak again in fear of saying something stupid, so she just nodded.  
“Well then I’m very glad to have you in my class...?”  
“Max” she finished for him.  
“Max,” he repeated slowly. “I’ll keep my eye on you, Max,” he said before walking back to his own desk at the front as the rest of the class filed into the room and took their seats.  
Did that just happen?? Did I just have a conversation with Mark Jefferson? AND now he knows my name?? Max could barely contain her excitement. Somehow she had this really strong feeling that her world was about to change forever.  
“Okay class, welcome to your first day. I’ll be your host, Mark Jefferson. Now, I won’t bore you with my entire life story, but I guess you can say I’ve made a name for myself over the past several years. So for those of you who are unfamiliar with me you can just Google my name and find out everything from where I grew up to what my favorite color is. Aside from that, I’ve only been teaching a short while, so please bear with me if I come across more like a professional photographer than a professional teacher.”  
Max was so engrossed in hanging on to Jefferson’s every word that she barely noticed Principal Wells, the Head of Blackwell security David Madsen, and a police officer standing in the doorway.  
“Mr. Jefferson,” Wells said in a firm and slightly terrifying voice. Jefferson turned around, and as Max watched his face she could swear a flicker of panic swept over his features.  
“Something I could help you gentlemen with?” Jefferson said, clearly trying to keep his composure.  
The police officer, whose name plate said Berry, stepped forward and pulled out a pair of handcuffs and stalked over to Jefferson. “Mark Jefferson, you are being placed under arrest for the kidnapping and murder of 4 girls in 4 states. You have the right to remain silent-”  
“What are you talking about? This is absurd!!” Jefferson cried. “I have absolutely no idea what you’re talking about!”  
David made his way closer to Jefferson and Berry, preparing to be needed in case the teacher didn’t cooperate. “We’ve got a pile of evidence that’s a mountain high, Jefferson. Even found one of your victims who came forward and told us everything you did to her. It’s over. You’re done.”  
Jefferson looked like a madman as he whipped his head around, desperate to find a way out of the situation he suddenly found himself in. “Ray?” he pleaded to the principal. “Ray, please let me explain, this is all just a misunderstanding.”  
But Principal Wells had no pity in his eyes for the man before him. “Save it, Jefferson, I saw the evidence for myself. You’re a sick man and we never should have let you step foot on our campus.”  
Max could do nothing but just sit in silent shock, her mouth agape as Officer Berry finished reading off the Miranda Rights and led Jefferson out of the classroom. Most of the students rushed out into the hall to see Berry continue to lead him toward the cop car that was parked outside waiting for him. What the actual fuck? Max thought. This has to be some kind of nightmare. Jefferson...a murderer? This can’t be right...then again, I doubt that cop was bluffing about all the evidence they had on him… Max felt like her head was about to spin right off her body, so she was thankful when soon after Ms. Grant, the science teacher, came out of her classroom and announced that classes would end early today.  
Max didn’t feel like talking with anyone, she was too distraught at finding out that someone she looked up to so much turned out to be a monster. And now she was questioning if she should have come back at all. Sure, Blackwell was still a good school that was geared towards the arts, but did she really go through all that work to get back here only to take her other classes like English and Science, courses that could have easily been taken at her old Seattle high school? I guess I’ll call Mom when I get back to my room and see if she thinks I should come back home.  
But Max didn’t want to go back to her room right away. She knew she would have to talk to people in the dorm about what just went down, and since she had a front row seat to the action, she knew that meant everyone who wasn’t there would bug her for every last detail. So she decided to walk out to the parking lot to get some fresh air, plus she figured most other students would be either in the dorms or in the quad. As she finally made it to the lot, she was relieved to not see any other students there. Just a beat up tan pickup truck off to the side, taking up 2 handicap spots.  
“What the fuck?” Max said aloud but in a quiet voice as she walked over to the vehicle to get a closer look. “What asshole thinks it’s alright to take up spaces meant for people who actually need to be closer to the building?” She was surprised to see a big cardboard box filled with the Rachel Amber missing persons posters in the bed of the truck. Hmm, maybe this is the person who’s been spamming the campus with these signs, she thought. Max reached into the box to grab a flyer, when a voice made her freeze.  
“HEY! What the fuck do you think you’re doing??” a voice yelled behind her.  
Max whipped around to see who it was, but it wasn’t a Blackwell student like she expected to see. Instead, it was a tall girl with a sleeve of colorful tattoos on her right arm and short electric blue hair partially covered by a navy blue beanie.  
“Holy shit...Max???” the girl said in disbelief.  
As soon as she heard the girl say her name, the realization hit her like a ton of bricks. “Chloe???” Max said with a completely shocked expression. Words failed Max, so instead she instinctively lunged for her friend and enveloped her in a tight hug. Chloe stood like a statue and didn’t so much as raise an arm to return the hug. All of Max’s anxious fears about Chloe came flooding back, and she wasn’t sure how nice her former BFF was going to be to her once they stepped out of their embrace. After all, Max was the one responsible for not keeping the friendship alive for the past half of a decade. But at the same time, it suddenly felt like no time had passed and she was finally back right where she belonged. After a few more seconds she felt Chloe start to squirm and they both took a step back to really assess each other.  
“So,” Chloe started, “back in town and going to Blackwell, huh?”  
Max felt like such a jerk for not contacting her sooner. She instantly regretted not texting Chloe as soon as she got back to town her first day. “Uh, yeah, pretty unbelievable, right?” she said, hoping Chloe would take it easy on her.  
Chloe’s expression turned slightly steely as she said, “Not too hard to believe, considering…”  
Crap, she’s definitely mad, Max thought. “Listen, Chloe, I just wanna say…”  
Chloe cut her off and said “I’m kinda in the middle of something right now, so maybe we can catch up another time.”  
Max nodded in understanding, though she was disappointed that they weren’t able to talk things out right now. Being back in her arms reminded Max of how much she truly missed her best friend, and right now she wanted nothing more than to apologize however many times it took until Chloe forgave her for abandoning her. “Yeah, I get it, another time. I just came out to clear my head and get some air.”  
Chloe gave her a curious look. “I know it’s been awhile since I’ve been a student here, but unless they majorly changed the schedule then classes shouldn’t be over already.”  
“You’re right, I’m supposed to be in my photography class right now. But my teacher, um, he...well he kinda sorta just got arrested. For kidnapping. And murdering.”  
Chloe’s face was covered in shock. “You’re fucking with me, aren’t you?” But Max just shook her head. “Jesus, Max, I’m sorry. Are you okay? Did he...he didn’t do anything to you, right?”  
“No no, he never did anything to me. I only just met him today. I mean, I’ve been a fan of his for years and he’s the reason I came back once I found out he was gonna teach a photography class at Black-” suddenly Max realized her mistake and instantly clamped her mouth shut. If looks could kill, she would be instantly dead, as Chloe’s gaze was a blend of fury and hurt. “Fuck, I didn’t mean it like that Chloe…”  
“Mean it like what?” Chloe spat. “That you only came back to town for some hot shit photographer, who apparently turned out to be a complete psycho, but not your best friend that you fucking abandoned years ago?!”  
“Chloe, of course I wanted to see you. I’ve missed you so much.”  
“Missed me so much that you’ve probably been in town for weeks and this is the first I’m seeing you? Yeah, clearly you’ve been miserable without me,” Chloe said as she started to stomp away.  
“Please, just let me explain,” Max pleaded. “I never meant to hurt you, you’ve gotta know that.”  
Chloe stopped and whipped back around to face Max. “You of all people should know how fucking tired I am of being hurt. And you were the last person in the entire world I thought would ever hurt me. You may not have meant to hurt me, but you did, Max. You fucking did.”  
Max hung her head in shame and said in a small voice “I know. And believe me when I say I feel absolutely awful for that. Chloe, we were each other’s entire world when we were kids. That’s gotta mean something, even though we’re older now.”  
“Some friends just grow apart when they get older,” Chloe mumbled as she avoided Max’s gaze and started lightly scuffing the blacktop with her beat up combat boot and crossed her arms.  
“You don’t really believe that,” Max challenged her.  
“Well we have grown apart, haven’t we? When’s the last time I told you anything about my life? Hell, when’s the last time you even asked? You have no fucking clue who I am now, or what I do everyday, or what I like and what I hate. So what would you call that, Max?”  
Max was quiet for a moment while she contemplated her answer. “I call it two friends who missed out on a lot of time, and I’m accepting 100% responsibility for that. But I’d rather try to make up for that time rather than just throw the whole friendship away. And you’re right, I don’t know anything about who you are now. I mean, I’m just shocked that you’ve got blue hair and tattoos. But I do know that even though you’re pissed at me now, you want the same thing. I know our friendship still means something to you, otherwise you wouldn’t be this mad at me. Your anger shows that you still care, otherwise you would have just told me to go fuck myself and drove off.”  
The tiniest twinkle sparkled in Chloe’s eyes. “That’s still a possible outcome ya know.”  
Max still had a long way to go, but she knew Chloe’s icy exterior was slowly starting to melt. “I don’t doubt it,” Max said. “I know I messed up, Chloe. But I want to make things right. No matter how long that takes, I want to prove to you that I can still be a good friend.”  
Chloe finally dropped her arms to her sides and let out another sigh. “Alright Max, I’ll give you a chance to make it up to me. But it’s not gonna get better overnight. You’ve got 5 years to make up for.”  
Max winced slightly at the harsh but true words. Chloe sure isn’t gonna make this easy, but I shouldn’t expect her to, she thought to herself. “I understand. Thank you, Chloe.”  
Chloe just stared at her for a few seconds as if she was contemplating what to say next until finally she spoke. “Look, I gotta get going. Maybe we can grab breakfast together at the diner sometime next week.”  
Max tried to hide the disappointment on her face as she said “Yeah, that would be great.”  
Chloe stared at her again then asked, “You sure you’re alright after all the teacher shit?”  
“Ye-yeah” Max said a bit shakily.  
Chloe nodded and turned to get in her truck. “Fuck” she said under her breath and whipped back around to face Max. “Why don’t you come with me? We can talk some more on the way, and I’m guessing you dont wanna be on campus right now.”  
Max was grateful that not only was Chloe giving her a chance to start repairing their fractured relationship, but she was also saving her from the endless questions the other students would have for her about Jefferson. “Thank you, Chloe. I’d love that.”  
* * *

The awkward silence in Chloe’s beat up pickup truck was enough to drive Max mad. She averted her gaze from the road and looked upon her friend. How is it that just 5 years ago Chloe and I couldn’t shut up when we were together? It felt like we’d never run out of things to say. Now we’re only a couple feet apart but it feels like we’re a couple galaxies away. Max started to give in to the sadness and guilt, but then remembered what she told Chloe. She knew if she was truly going to try to make amends, she couldn’t just throw her hands up and say ‘it is what it is.’ She hesitantly cleared her throat to try to get Chloe’s attention, but no luck.  
“So...what did you have for lunch today?” she asked while trying her best to sound casual.  
Chloe couldn’t help but snort. “5 years and that’s the very first question you ask me? How long did it take you to come up with that gem? Did you wrestle between asking me about lunch and breakfast? Or better yet, did you contemplate asking if I had a snack today?”  
“Okay, you’re still a smartass. Good to know,” Max grumbled.  
“Takes one to know one Caulfield,” Chloe said pointedly.  
“Touche,” Max replied with a small smirk.  
The silence fell over them once more, but after several seconds Chloe spoke. “Goldfish.”  
“Huh?” Max asked.  
“I’m telling you what I had for lunch. Goldfish. A fistful if you need precise measurements.”  
“Are you serious?” Max asked incredulously. “That is in no way an actual meal!”  
“Um excuse you, they were the pizza flavor. So I basically had pizza for lunch,” Chloe fired back.  
Max shook her head in disappointment. “You are unbelievable.”  
“Thank you, I try,” Chloe said with her usual sarcastic tone.  
“So…” Max began with hesitation. “You must be hungry now, right? Wanna go grab a bite to eat?”  
“Well I was already planning on going to the diner. I’ve gotta hang more posters up there, but I’m sure Mom will be thrilled to see you.”  
Max smiled at the thought of being able to see Joyce again, and having a delicious burger that she’d been craving since she moved. “That sounds great. So what’s the deal with those posters in the back of your truck anyway?”  
“I don’t wanna talk about it,” Chloe snapped. Max slightly jumped back in her seat at Chloe’s sudden change of tone. “Sorry,” Chloe started. “I just don’t feel comfortable talking about it right now.”  
“I understand,” Max said sheepishly. Way to go, Max, she thought to herself bitterly. You could have used a little tact instead of being so nonchalant.  
They once again drove in silence. Max could have kicked herself for possibly blowing what little progress they had made so far. But after a couple minutes, Chloe spoke. “Just so you know, they changed the name since you’ve been gone. It’s now called the Three Whales Diner.”  
“What the fuck? Why?”  
Chloe shrugged her shoulders. “Because they wanted a change.”  
“Bullshit!” Max said.  
“Look don’t get mad at me, apparently they wanted people to be reminded that Arcadia Bay is known for their sea life so they thought adding an extra whale into the mix would do the trick.”  
“Yeah...I don’t believe you,” Max said.  
Chloe shrugged her shoulders again. “Fine, don’t believe me. I guess you lost your trust in me when you bailed on me all those years ago.”  
Max rolled her eyes. “Or maybe I just still know you so well that I know when you’re fucking with me.”  
“50/50 chance,” Chloe quipped.  
After a few minutes, the truck pulled into the familiar parking lot of the diner. Max’s eyes instantly locked onto the big sign on top of the building.  
“Well well well, would you look at that?” she said while pointing up at the sign. “Looks like somebody was channeling their inner Pinocchio.”  
Chloe let out a scoff. “They must have just switched the sign back the other day once they realized the name change didn’t pan out like they thought it would.”  
“Mhmm, sure Chloe,” Max deadpanned.  
“Whatever, let’s go grab a booth,” the blue haired girl said as she hopped out of her truck and slammed the door behind her.  
Max trailed after her, and she almost had to do a double take when she stepped foot in the restaurant. She felt like she had just warped back in time, everything was exactly how she remembered it. A familiar voice was the only thing that snapped her out of her trance.  
“Max Caulfield? I can’t believe my eyes!” Chloe’s mom, Joyce, said as she made her way out from behind the counter. She skirted around the customers to make a beeline for Max and instantly pulled her into a big bear hug.  
“Hey Joyce! It is seriously so good to see you,” Max replied as she enjoyed the comfort of Joyce’s embrace.  
“Damn, wish I got that kind of greeting everytime I walked in here,” Chloe quipped.  
Joyce pulled away from Max and gave her daughter a look. “As if you wouldn’t tell me to stop being mushy if I ever tried that on you,” Joyce replied. Chloe just rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. “Max honey I’ve missed you so much! How long’s it been? Like 4 years?”  
“5,” Chloe corrected her bitterly.  
Max internally flinched at Chloe’s tone. “Uh, yeah, 5 years.”  
“But you’re back for good now, right? Did you come back for school?” Joyce asked.  
Max paused before giving her answer. She wasn’t sure exactly what to say about Blackwell at the moment. She certainly didn’t want to get into everything about what happened with Jefferson, so she opted for the simplest answer. “Yeah I’m back now and going to Blackwell.”  
“Don’t get too attached though, Mom,” Chloe said sarcastically. “She has a tendency of disappearing.”  
Joyce turned to face Chloe and started to open her mouth, probably to tell her to knock it off, but Max quickly cut her off. “No, I’m not gonna disappear again. I’m here now. For good.” She had hoped that her answer would satisfy Chloe.  
But Chloe just kept her face blank and said she had some business to take care of and that she’d be back in a few before making her way back to her truck out in the parking lot.  
“Well I’m very glad that you’re back, Max. I’ve missed you,” Joyce said to continue their conversation. She took a pause to look at Chloe out the window. “We’ve missed you,” she corrected herself.  
Max gave Joyce a warm smile and they continued to catch up until Chloe returned. “Come on let’s eat. I’m starving” the blue haired punk said before grabbing the nearest booth. Max had wanted to offer to help with the posters, but after Chloe’s reaction in the truck, she didn’t wanna step on her toes again. Clearly Rachel Amber is a sore subject for Chloe, Max thought to herself.  
After placing their orders, Max and Chloe once again sat in silence. Max hoped these silences would soon start to feel more comfortable rather than awkward.  
“So how was Seattle? I’m guessing pretty exciting since it kept you so busy,” Chloe asked to break the ice.  
Max tried to ignore the not so subtle dig and said “Oh you know, it was a cool city. A lot of awesome places to go for the arts, and the coffee was amazing, and the people were super interesting…”  
Suddenly Max stopped. Ever since they were kids, Max always had a small part of her that wanted to impress Chloe. She had always admired her and looked up to her, and she wanted to be cool like Chloe. But she realized that hyping up Seattle wasn’t something she wanted to do. She didn’t care if Chloe thought she was a loser, she wanted to be completely upfront with her friend. “No, I don’t wanna bullshit you.” Chloe gave Max a curious look. “I mean, yes it’s a cool place, but I was never really happy there. I felt so out of my element, I never fit in or made any real friends, and I’d take a cup of Joyce’s coffee any day over what they had in Seattle.”  
Chloe leaned back into her seat and adjusted her beanie. “Well...I’m sorry Seattle sucked hard. But I guess if we’re being honest, I’m not that mad. Better than the scenario I made up in my head of you having the time of your life with tons of new friends and forgetting all about me.”  
“Chloe Price, you know damn well I’d never be able to forget about you even if I tried.”  
Chloe’s face slowly began to light up. “You better not. I’m one in a quintillion after all.”  
“Quintillion? Who even uses that number?” Max asked.  
“Psh, get on my level!” Chloe retorted.  
“Nerd,” Max grumbled.  
“Doofus,” Chloe retorted.  
“Only doofuses say ‘doofus,’” Max fired back.  
Chloe chuckled at the comeback, and Max felt a small wave of relief that they could joke around like this, just like old times. “I really am glad I ran into you today, Chloe. And I swear I really was planning on reaching out to you once I got a little more settled here. I just get in my head so much sometimes, and I absolutely hate that I do that because it ends up fucking things up. But I was just so scared that you’d be furious with me whenever I did try coming back into your life, because you do have every right to be mad at me, and you didn’t deserve what I put you through-”  
“Max,” Chloe cut her off before she kept babbling. “Look, I really do want to forgive you.” Chloe took a deep breath before continuing. “I meant what I said that this can’t be fixed overnight, and we’re never gonna get those 5 years back no matter how we move forward now. But I see that you’re trying and I really do appreciate that. And honestly, being back with you...it’s made so many great memories come flooding back. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t miss those days.. But I know how I am, and after all that happened I’m gonna need to see for myself that you really are gonna stick around and put in the effort you talked about.”  
“I get it,” Max agreed. “I know I have to prove myself to you, and I’ll do that however long it takes. And this time I’m not going anywhere. I promise you, Chloe.”  
“Thanks Max,” Chloe said before adding “I’m glad you came back.” Chloe suddenly looked out the window, then turned back to Max. “After we finish eating, there’s some place I wanna take you.”  
* * *  
“Holy shit,” Max exclaimed. “It’s our pirate map! I totally forgot about this!” Chloe had taken them up to the lighthouse that they used to play at all the time when they were kids. She also pointed out to Max the Arcadia Bay visitor’s map plaque that they turned into their own personal pirate map when they were 8.  
“Yep, still there,” Chloe said. “No way in hell would I let anyone mess with that as long as I’m still in town.”  
“They better not,” Max agreed. “Otherwise they’d have to answer to Captain Bluebeard and Long Max Silver!”  
“Argh!” Chloe agreed in her best pirate voice. “God, I haven’t heard those names in forever.”  
“You know, I’ve got that picture of us in our pirate gear in my drawer in my dorm room,” Max said a little sheepishly.  
Chloe’s eyes lit up when she heard that. “You do?”  
Max nodded and Chloe gave her a genuine smile before walking to the edge of the hill overlooking the water.  
Max took a few steps forward to join Chloe on the edge. Just like the diner, everything was just as she remembered it. She loved how the sky looked like something out of a Bob Ross painting. “This seriously is the best place to watch the sunset,” she said aloud.  
“Agreed,” Chloe said. “I used to come up here all the time with…” but she stopped herself before finishing her sentence.  
“Rachel Amber?” Max offered gingerly.  
Chloe silently nodded and turned around to go sit down on the nearby bench.  
“Who...who was she exactly?” Max asked hesitantly as she made her way over to the bench. She could tell this was going to be hard for Chloe to talk about and instantly started to regret bringing it up, especially after how she reacted in the truck earlier. Before she could open her mouth to tell Chloe nevermind, the blue haired girl spoke up.  
“Rachel was-is….my angel. I met her after you left, and in a lot of ways she saved me. We were thick as thieves, kinda like us as kids, but her and I got into way more trouble and stirred up a helluva more shit.” A slight smile crept onto her lips as she reminisced. “You probably wouldn’t even believe half the stories I’d tell you about us, shit was seriously wild.” Slowly the corners of her smile turned down. “But 6 months ago she disappeared. Without so much as a goodbye. And she’s totally a free spirit, so everyone else thinks she just decided on a whim to up and leave. But my gut is telling me something’s wrong. She wouldn’t leave without telling me, I know it. We were gonna leave town together, we had a legit game plan. But now…” she trailed off as it became harder to talk about.  
Max tried to ignore the pang of jealousy as she pictured someone else essentially taking her place in her best friend’s life. She didn’t want Chloe to be miserable and lonely while she was gone, but there was something that just made her feel like crap when she thought about how Chloe had someone else in her life that she called her angel. She delicately put her arm around Chloe as her beanie covered head found its way onto Max’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry, Chloe. I had no idea she meant that much to you. I’ve seen her posters on campus, but I only got a chance to ask my friend Kate about her. She told me she’s super friendly and very real. What can I do to help?”  
Chloe took a breath. “Nothing...I don’t know. Hell, I don’t even know what I can do anymore at this point. The cops called off the search and are calling it a cold case, which her parents seem to be agreeing with. The kids at Blackwell don’t give a fuck that she’s gone, it’s old news now. I’ve been putting these flyers up for months, I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve tried calling her and texting her...I’m pretty much the only one who’s still doing anything about it. But I’m not gonna give up on her. I’m never gonna stop looking for her. She saved me, Max, now it’s my turn to do the same. Wherever the fuck she is…”  
Max attempted to push down the almost physical pain her jealousy caused her and tried to be there for her friend. “Well then we’re gonna look for her together. You’re not alone in this anymore, Chloe.”  
Chloe lifted her head from Max’s shoulder to look in her eyes. “You mean it?” Max nodded in reassurance. “God, that would be amazing. Thank you, Max.” Chloe paused for a moment before continuing. “Listen Max, I just have to warn you...this isn’t gonna be like one of our pirate adventures when we were kids. Rachel was mixed up with some pretty bad people while she was here. Dangerous people. I...I felt her start to distance herself from me before she disappeared. I didn’t want to believe it, but I think she started hanging out with someone else. Someone she was too scared to tell me about. We used to tell each other everything, so it was weird she wouldn’t tell me about someone new in her life. And it wouldn’t bother me that much, but now that she’s been gone for so long and I’ve got this bad feeling...I’m just starting to wonder if she hooked up with the wrong person and that’s why she’s gone now.”  
Max patted Chloe’s back and said “I understand. We’ll be careful, and I’m sorry if that really does turn out to be the case. But if she’s this important to you, we’ll find her. No matter what.”  
Chloe looked as if she was struggling for the right words before she finally spoke. “I just...I can’t have anything happen to you, Max. I already lost you once, my dad’s gone, and right now I’ve lost Rachel...I really can’t handle anything else happening to someone I care about.”  
“Chloe, I promise, nothing will happen to me. I came back to you, and Rachel will come back too.” As the words left Max’s lips she thought to herself, even though I don’t know how things would be if I had to compete with another best friend of Chloe’s. Our friendship is still kinda fragile, and clearly this Rachel girl took my place while I was gone. Is their bond even stronger than the one I formed with Chloe all those years ago? Max shook the thoughts from her head and tried to steady herself. No, that’s stupid. If we do find her, we can all be friends, there’s not gonna be any competition. It’ll be totally fine.  
“Thank you, Max,” Chloe said with a grateful smile. I’ve been thinking, seeing you after all these years feels like…” Chloe started but trailed off.  
“Destiny?” Max finished for her.  
Chloe gave a slight nod. “If this is destiny, I hope we can find...RACHEL?!?” she exclaimed as she flicked her gaze to behind Max.  
Suddenly a blonde girl with a brilliant smile came up the hill and stood a few feet away from the bench.  
“Hey Chloe, long time no see.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope everyone who reads this enjoyed the twist! I've always wondered how things would be if Rachel ended up being alive and what a 'competition' between her and Max would look like. Also I decided not to include Max's rewind powers in this story so I can put all the focus on the emotional side of things rather than having to juggle time travel mechanics. This is my first work that'll have multiple chapters, although I'm not sure how many there will be at the moment. But thank you to whoever reads this, and please look forward to chapter 2 in the future!


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